When you choose a facial moisturizer, you are really looking for a product that can do multiple tasks at one time. At the top of the list are sun protection, moisture management, and protection from free radicals. Ideally one lotion or cream should be able to do it all, but you can layer products if necessary.
- Sun protection. The sun is crucial for life (and for vitamin D production) but it can also be your skin’s worst enemy, according to the skincare and beauty researchers at Adore Cosmetics. Sun exposure not only leads to wrinkles and “age spots,” but also contributes to potentially deadly skin cancer. Check the label of any facial moisturizer for an SPF (sun protection factor) of at least 30 for daytime wear. Be sure you are getting broad-spectrum protection from both UVA and UBV rays. Commonly available and naturally sourced sun-protective ingredients include zinc oxide and titanium dioxide. These ingredients may leave a white cast to your skin, so choose a thin formulation that can be easily absorbed over a heavier cream.
- A moisturizing/humectant combination. Dry skin will look older than supple skin, and will also feel tight and possibly even itchy or irritated. Moisturizing ingredients will help to prevent the skin from losing its all-important existing moisture. These include plant oils, mineral oils, shea butter, cocoa butter, petrolatum, silicones and animal oils (like lanolin). Humectants attract additional external water to the skin; look for sorbitol, glycols, glycerin and sodium PCA, to do this job.
- Antioxidant power. Found in fruits, vegetables, and other naturally occurring substances, antioxidants are indispensable for preventing some of the damage that is done, daily, by unavoidable free radicals. Tocopherol (vitamin E), lycopene (a carotenoid found in red produce), green tea, coffee berry, resveratrol (from grapes), grape seed, genistein (from soy), niacinamide (vitamin B3), and l-ascorbic acid (vitamin C) are all powerful antioxidants used in skincare products. Often, antioxidants are used in combination.
Adore Organic Innovation understands the ingredients that makes great moisturizers because of its constant research and development to create deeply hydrating products that thoroughly nourish the skin while revitalizing it.
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